Roxy training diary month 62

July 2008

Bib of Destiny

Jul 26.  I took the last week off from running, partly to taper for the marathon next weekend and partly because I was sore and creaky and I felt it would be better to let my muscles and joints fully recover.

Yesterday, I saw an article about a charity 5K for Lindsey Anderson, who will be running in the 3000 meter steeplechase in the Olympics next month.  So I went.  I told her about what a geek I was for almost running off the road when I saw her (Jul 16 entry).  I got my bib signed.

Annie is doing much better.  She seems to have perked up, and we haven't noticed any more symptoms.  We'll see how her bladder looks in a month or two when we do a followup ultrasound.

Antelope Line Up for Porta-Potties

Annie Having a Ball at Grounds for Coffee

I'm Going to Eat You...

...and Your Little Cone Too

Jul 18.  Annie has been ill, and we're not exactly sure what's going on.

Yesterday afternoon, we went to Dr. Nebeker's clinic, and narrowed it down to bladder stones, a bladder infection, or bladder cancer.

We had hoped that an ultrasound today would help clarify what's going on, but it left us about where we were when we started.  Dr. Nebeker did some more tests today, and we'll see if anything shows up.  Maybe we will have to wait several weeks to see if antibiotics clear up the problem, and if the swelling we see in the ultrasound gets better, worse, or stays the same.

So, Annie got to score more ice cream for being such an ideal patient.

Roxy and I went for a run this morning, our first run together in several months.  She had developed an aversion to running when she cut her footpad back in May.  Rosemary suggested a pocketful of cookies, so loaded with Liver Biscotti, we headed out.  Sure enough, that did the trick.  We ran 4½ miles together.

Jul 16.  I'm happy if one cool thing happens to me each day, and I got my wish for yesterday and today.

Late last night, I got an email from Michelle Page, who is the Doyenne of Danger Dogs (see Jun 27 RoxyLog).  She said Dylan's unpurchased Danger Dog portrait (far right) was being displayed in the Santa Monica Museum of Art.  (In the gift shop, where you can buy it for $200, but still.)  We have the other two, and don't expect to put them up for auction at Sotheby's any time soon.  We would rather hold onto them as investments.

Then, this morning, I was at about mile 5¾ of my eight miles.  I was heading south, towards home, on the connector between the Lake Shore Trail and the Mt. Ogden Exercise Trail, at Buchanan Ave. 

Far ahead, coming towards me, was a female runner.  I first noticed that she was moving very fast.  Then, I noticed that her form was top-notch: her core (stomach muscles) was solid, and her movement was über-efficient.  It's the tradition among runners to give a slight head bow or wave as they pass, and so I nodded my head and then did a double-take, turning to stare at her.

It was Lindsey Anderson, who qualified for the Beijing Olympics by placing second in the 3000m Steeplechase at the US Olympic Trials.  She's featured in the Jul 4 entry below. I thought Olympic athletes were swept away to a secret location in the Rockies where they were injected with steroids and subjected to cruel but effective experiments to bulk up their muscles, but there she was, putting in her 70+ weekly miles on the same trails I run on.

Lindsey Anderson

(Photo: steeplechics.com)

Dylan as Art

Jul 12.  Today was the last long run (20 miles, theoretically) in preparation for the San Francisco Marathon.  Today's race was the Farmington Festival Days half, so I parked 3 miles from the start/finish and ran those 3 before the half.  Afterwards, I was more interested in the free breakfast than in running back (uphill) to the car, so I stayed a bit, indulged in food, and then walked the last three.  But hey, it still counts as miles in my book, so that's 19 today and 35 for the week.

That maxes out my running for this chapter of the running calendar.  Now I start my taper, and the only longish runs I have planned are a 12K (7.5 mi) trail run next Saturday, and the traditional Pioneer Day run Thursday Jul 24.

Evil Tree

Jul 5.  This morning, I got up early to run (hike) the Indian Trail.  It was eventful. On the way up, I didn't see a tree that had fallen across the trail.  As the tallest of our group of four, I was the one who managed to spike my head.  The cap I was wearing saved me from the worst of it, but it was still quite painful.

Then, on the way back, I damn near stepped on a rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus lutosus).  I was lagging behind my mates, so when I got back to the trailhead, they all said, "Did you see the rattler?"  Indeed I did.  This is the first rattlesnake I've seen since my boyhood days in West Texas. 

Sky mastered swimming today.  He's a fast learner.

Jul 4.  Happy Independence Day!  Twenty-three years ago today, I sat down to begin writing my dissertation.  Ever since, the day has held special meaning for me.

This year, I celebrated by running in the Kaysville Rotary 10K.  Even though it was hot (one bank clock sign said 86°F), I posted a good time, with a Personal Record of 49:36.  That put me 5th (out of 9) in my age group. 

Lots of other people were there.  My friend Casey, who ran with me in the 5K for Kim in April, also posted a PR, in the 5K.  Norm Tarbox, aka "The Beast", was 3rd in his age group in the 5K.  Remind me not to compete against him; he would likely clean my clock.

We must've all been inspired by Local Girl Lindsey Anderson, originally from Morgan, Utah and a graduate of Weber State, who finished second in the 3000m Steeplechase at the Olympic Trials last night.  It's fun, but weird in a way, to see someone who graduated from your campus and runs in local races, there on the big screen TV, making the Olympic team.  We'll be there cheering for her in August, too.

Afterwards, I joined Rosemary and we helped out at the Kelley Creek Farms herding trial, which was just border collies.  We were posted at the swim pond and dock.  The ACDs stayed busy telling the BCs they weren't doing it right. Our kids got their turn swimming; Sky got to try out the pond for himself.

Jul 3.  A chance encounter with a plastic horse on Historic 25th Street in downtown Ogden led to an unpredictable series of events.

Lorene Donaldson, 1936

Downtown Horse

I was at the Athenian Restaurant downtown for my monthly critique group meeting. 

As I left, I spotted one of the new horses that have been placed downtown for the upcoming Ogden Pioneer Days.

Ogden Pioneer Days has a logo that always reminded Rosemary and I of our days in Nashville, enjoying the great local barbecue (and atmosphere!) at a place on Nolansville Road called, naturally enough, "Bar-B-Cutie".

I always thought the Ogden Pioneer Days flapper was an advertising man's fantasy gal, but in searching for appropriate photos to match up to my horse, I found this blog entry about the blogger's mother, Lorene Donaldson.  She is clearly the inspiration for the Ogden Pioneer Days rodeo girl.  Now she has been immortalized on the side of a sculptural horse.

I also snagged this great photo, from this website, of the Bar-B-Cutie sign.

Bar-B-Cutie

Jul 2.  I mailed off my packet of agent submissions yesterday, so now I can look forward to a flurry of rejection letters — and maybe an acceptance or two.

My mother and stepfather's dog Clyde died yesterday.  As far as we know, he had a brain tumor.  He had a great second half of his life as a Mountain Dog and was well cared-for.  He was a sweet guy who will be missed.

I am trying for 34 miles on my calendar this week.  I'm chronically sore, and I don't know how much I should push myself because this would not be a good time to be injured.  This Sunday Jul 6 will be four weeks to the race.  I will try to max out my weekly miles at 36 next week, with the Farmington Half-Marathon plus 7 miles more for my traditional pre-marathon long run of 20 miles.  Then I can taper a bit.

Roxy and I graduated (again) from PetSmart intermediate class.  We need to start practicing agility again; she is supposed to run in the FAST class with me on Friday Jul 11.  It's just for fun, and we don't need to do anything special.  I'm just taking her in to see if she can relax and enjoy the agility ring yet.  If not, we'll wait another year for our next try.

Re-Graduated Dog